Youth Health Service Corps (YHSC)

The Youth Health Service Corps (YHSC), a health career recruitment program for high school students, was implemented in the state of Connecticut in 2004 through the four regional Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) of Connecticut. The mission of the YHSC is to recruit students to volunteer in health care settings that serve the underserved, while increasing their awareness of career opportunities.

As a member of the YHSC, students are required to participate in nine tier module curriculum trainings and complete over fifty hours of volunteer service at health care agencies that serve vulnerable populations. The nine tier modules curriculum training includes topics such as: Vulnerable Populations, Ethical & Legal Issues, Cultural Competency, Applied Health Services, Health Education & Disease Prevention, Health Career Awareness, Peer Education & Leadership, Emergency Preparedness, and CPR/AED Certification. Once prepared, students can volunteer under the supervision of health care professionals in homeless shelters, community health centers, extended care facilities, health and social services sites.

Students also participate in service learning projects. Community-based service learning meets actual community needs while allowing students the experience and service that leads to personal and academic growth. A critical stage of service learning, reflection, is integrated into the YHSC curriculum at specific intervals that provide opportunities for students to combine learning and service into their experiences.

Since September 2007, program inception at SOWEGA-AHEC, over 120 students have been recruited from five highs schools. YHSC members have completed over 1,500 volunteer hours at events such as, Habitat for Humanity, Lee County Health Fair, MLK Day Dinner Celebration, River Front Run, HOSA (Health Occupation Student Association) Club, Skills USA Club, Kids Expo, Kids on the Move, Ethics and Nutrition Workshops, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Summer Program, and Emergency Preparedness Fair, to name a few.

At the monthly YHSC workshops, we have had several community members present to the students. Implementing the YHSC helps these students become aware of how important it is to be involved in your community and the variety of career opportunities in health care, all while continuing to “grow the next generation” of health professionals in Southwest Georgia.